


The Mind Reader

by Ernmark (M_Moonshade)



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: M/M, Peter swallows the martian pill AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-29
Updated: 2018-11-28
Packaged: 2019-09-02 00:47:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16776274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/M_Moonshade/pseuds/Ernmark
Summary: It happened purely on impulse. Before he could swallow, I crushed my mouth against his. It wasn’t a romantic kiss by any stretch of the imagination, not with that amount of tongue.I didn’t intend to swallow the Pill.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> camomility asked:
> 
> AU where instead of Juno being the one who swallowed the pill/gained telepathy, it was Peter instead?

By all means, I should have kept running. My legs were longer than the detective’s; it was only a matter of time before I outran him.

But I couldn’t make myself ignore the sound of a body falling down those stairs. I whirled, suddenly frantic. I shouldn’t be concerned for the man who was chasing me. If anything, the fall would give me a few much-needed seconds to disappear. 

Instead I crouched over the body flattened at the bottom of the staircase. 

I ran my hands over his neck. No obvious spinal damage; his legs were already gathering underneath him. His hand left behind a smear of blood when he tried to rise. It looked like he’d cut his palm on the landing.

“You delicate flower,” I sighed. “You didn’t give yourself a concussion over me, did you?” 

In an instant he was on me. There was, in fact, blood leaking down his face from a cut on his forehead, the poor darling, but his hand was fisted in my jacket.

“You’re not getting away this time, Nureyev,” he said, pulling me closer.

“That’s a no on that concussion, I take it.“

He raised his voice. “Alessandra! I–” 

I clamped my hand over his mouth. “I highly suggest you keep your voice down. Someone might–” Too late. I could already hear voices heading this way. “Never mind, then. If you would be so kind…” I threw myself backward, yanking him with me. A utility closet opened at our approach and shut behind us. While he regained his footing, I slipped my hand into his pocket and snatched the Pill, but before I could pull it back, his hand wrapped around my wrist.

“Not a chance,” he snapped.

“They’re going to take it one way or another, Juno.” I tried to yank my wrist back. “You’ll thank me later.”

He retaliated with another sharp yank of his own, and the Pill fell from my hand. If he had an ounce of sense, he’d give it up for lost and run. Instead he stomped hard on the Pill. But when he pulled his foot back, the Pill was fine. The only mark was a slight divot on the sole of his boot.

“What the hell?”

“Heavy construction equipment didn’t scratch it, Juno,” I chided. “Do you really think you’re going to?”

He responded with a laser blast. The hard light would have been enough to put a respectable hole through most organic matter. Unfortunately for him, this Pill was anything but organic.

“Dammit, Juno, stop waving that blaster around,” I snapped. “You’ll put an eye out with that thing!”

I threw myself on top of him. Locked in a closet like this, I could always persuade the guards I’d successfully apprehended him, and then I could sneak him off to safety at a more convenient time. If he was armed, though, he’d more likely be shot the moment they opened the door.

He crumpled underneath me. I thought I had him pinned, but I should have known better. 

He reached out– I assumed he meant to catch himself. But when he pulled his hand back, the Pill was clutched in his fist.

“Juno, just give it to me!” I hissed.

“I don’t know what you want it for, but I can’t let you just have it.”

I tried to grab it from him, but too late.

“Bottoms up.” 

It happened purely on impulse. Before he could swallow, I crushed my mouth against his. It wasn’t a romantic kiss by any stretch of the imagination, not with that amount of tongue. 

I didn’t intend to swallow the Pill. It was purely reflexive.

“Dammit, Juno,” I said. “Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to put strange… strange…” 

I could feel it dissolving in my esophagus, going from a solid pill to an unpleasantly hot liquid that slid through my insides. I felt nauseous, my stomach cramping painfully, but I didn’t think I could vomit.

“What the hell is–” he caught me in his arms and eased me down. His mouth stopped moving, but his words didn’t. They kept going and going and going, miles upon miles per minute. _Oh god what’s happening to him is he having a seizure Nureyev are you going to be okay please be okay–_

I could feel his fear fogging my senses. I could taste my breath still in his mouth. And mixed with that taste, the chewing gum in a guard’s mouth at the end of the hall. Ash and nicotine from another guard, further still. The taste of Juno, still fading on somebody else’s tongue.

I could hear words joining Juno’s all layered on top of each other, manic streams of consciousness twining together and piling on top of each other until I couldn’t make sense of it. Agitation anxiety anger discomfort fear concern _fear fear **fear**_.

I managed one small, timid word. “Juno?”

I was facing away from the door, but I saw it open from four angles at once– from down the hall, small and distant; right up close from two separate angles, staring down at two shapes huddled together on the floor; glaring up through Juno’s eyes right before two lasers split the air, and the guards collapsed. A third, and the guard down the hall joined them. They were in pain and I could feel it. _I could feel it._ Every surging synapse, every writhing muscle. I could feel it all.

And I could feel Juno’s muscles straining as he gathered me into his arms.

_God please no not him not him he shouldn’t have taken it should have been me please don’t die Nureyev please please you’re gonna be fine I’m gonna get you out of here please you’re gonna be fine you have to be you have to be please you were supposed to disappear but not like this not ever like this–_

All the racing thoughts in that factory, and I clung to his until I finally, gratefully, fell unconscious.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> psychoticsherlockian asked:  
> Would you be willing to continue the fic where Peter swallows the Martian pill? It's so good!

Even after I regained consciousness, I was weak and groggy. After being so full, my empty skull felt like an echo chamber. The contents of my head, my stomach, my veins– I’d been sucked dry, and not in the way I’d prefer.

It wasn’t all bad, though. When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was Juno.

He sat on a chair beside my bed, his arms folded, his shoulders hunched, as surly as ever. 

“You’re awake,” he said quietly. “The nurses should be here soon.”

Nurses? Oh. I was in a hospital room. In a hospital. When did that happen?

“Listen, the cops’ll be coming in to question you as soon as the nurses give the all clear. Lee and McCrory aren’t with them, so they shouldn’t recognize your face.” He didn’t look at me. “I told them I didn’t know your name. That I just found you like that and you said you swallowed something before you passed out.”

Swallowed…?

Oh. The Pill.

Oh. That would make things tricky. Did Miasma know it was me? Did she already know it was gone? 

She had no qualms about murder before; I doubted she’d grow a conscience now. She was rather… _driven_ that way.

But she wasn’t the only one. I dragged my head back to look at Juno.

“You could turn me in, you know,” I rasped.

He turned his face away. He knew.

“You didn’t have to do that. What you did.” His voice dropped until it was nearly inaudible. “Jesus, it almost killed you.” 

“And pass up an opportunity at a second kiss? Never.” 

* * *

It wasn’t long before the nurse arrived and shooed Juno out of the room. She gave me a final once-over before she allowed the police inside, and then came the barrage of questions.

Thanks to Juno’s warning, I had enough time to spin a tale of kidnapping and illicit experimentation– something that would put the police on Miasma’s trail without implicating myself. I didn’t hold out much hope that they would actually capture her, but at least they might keep her distracted long enough for me to come up with a plan… preferably after I slept for a week or so. 

But first, I needed to make my escape. I was still too uncoordinated to risk going out the window– besides, someone had taken my clothes, and this hospital gown was a look even I couldn’t pull off without drawing too much attention to myself. I’d need to head to the nurses’ station, find something that fit properly, wipe their records and security feeds of my presence, and then I’d need to head to the police station and scour their files for the same. The very thought left me exhausted, but I had no time to waste. I dragged myself to the door and–

“Going somewhere?” Juno leaned against the wall just inches away. 

I jumped, startled, and nearly fell. In an instant he was there to catch me.

“You know,” he said. “If you needed a nurse, there’s this little button you can push that brings ‘em right to you. It’s right by your bed and everything.”

“I don’t need a nurse,” I muttered. 

“Try telling me that when you can walk a straight line.” He crowded me backward, right back into the bed. Much as I wanted to resent it, I couldn’t deny the relief of not having to stand. 

“I do wish you’d make up your mind, Juno. Are you trying to let me go or turn me in?” Another thought occurred to me. “Or are you hoping to keep me for yourself?”

“I’m hoping I won’t have to scrape you off the floor ten feet down the hall,” he said after just a moment too long. “The staff have enough to do without having to make sure they don’t trip on you.” 

“If that’s all you’re worried about, you could just as easily fetch me a wheelchair. And my clothes, if you can find them.” 

“The doctors aren’t done getting that stuff out of you yet.”

“No? I think they’ve been quite thorough so far.”

“You need to rest,” he insisted.

“I can do that just as easily from the comfort of a hotel room.”

“What good’s that going to do you if that Martian poison makes a comeback? You can’t exactly call an ambulance if you’re in the middle of another one of those seizures.” 

“Then perhaps you could make the call, then.” I flashed a grin. “If you’re determined to play doctor, Juno, you might as well go all the way.” 

He swallowed, but his voice remained impressively steady. “Maybe save the flirting until after you can sit up straight.”

“Does that mean you’ll still be around when I can?” 

He shrugged. “I’m not going anywhere.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> theweefreewomen asked:
> 
> Can I request more of the 'Nureyev takes the Safron pill' au?

“This is just a temporary thing.”

“Of course.” 

“Just so I can keep an eye on you.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“As soon as you’re on your feet, you’re on the first spaceship off Mars.”

“Whatever you say.”

If I felt so inclined, I might have pointed out that I could just as easily sit prone in a spaceship for thirty hours _before_ I made my recovery, but I decided against it. The doctors who had treated me were hardly experts in Ancient Martian medicine, but if my condition suddenly took a turn for the worse, they at least had some idea of where to start. I couldn’t say the same about any other medical professionals in the galaxy. 

Besides, how could I possibly refuse Juno Steel’s gracious hospitality?

My host had fallen silent for the moment– apparently he’d taken one look at his living room couch and started questioning his life choices. There were other places for a guest to sleep, of course– the bed came to mind, and fortunately, it was big enough for two.

“So,” I said cheerfully. “Where will I be sleeping?”

His expression twisted into a look of horror. “I thought they got that Ancient Martian crap out of you?”

“Of course they did,” I said, playing innocent. “Why do you ask?”

He stared at me intently– probably trying to beam a message directly into my head.

He really was adorable.

“Oh, Juno,” I chuckled. “Is that what you’re worried about?” I stepped closer, invading his space. “You can rest easy, I can’t read your mind. Your face, on the other hand…”

He cleared his throat, turning away from me. “I’m not so sure I believe you.”

“You don’t have to. The truth won’t change either way.” I gave him a more comfortable amount of space and leaned against the couch. “Whatever that Pill did to me, it seems to have passed.”

“And if it hasn’t?”

“At the moment, I’m far more concerned about my old employer. She doesn’t take kindly to being denied. It’s only a matter of time before she comes after me.”

He looked away. “All the more reason to get you off Mars as fast as possible.”

“If this is too dangerous for you, Juno…” I let the thought hang in the air. 

He shrugged it off. “She killed Anthony DiMaggio and Samira Haddad. Like hell am I letting her murder anyone else.”

“Is that you being my big, brave hero?” Oh, that word meant something to him. His cheeks colored and he forced himself not to look at me.

“Heroism’s got nothing to do with it,” he muttered.

Yes, it did. He was practically buzzing with the need to accept my praise, but he refused to let himself.

“The police report seems to say otherwise,” I said. “There was quite a bit in there about you fighting off Miasma’s other employees and carrying me to safety–” But something about that image didn’t feel right. Juno wasn’t the type to sweep damsels off their feet. I grinned and adjusted accordingly. “Perhaps I could return the favor.” 

He stared at me for far too long before he swallowed. “Anyway, bed’s over there. If you need me, I’ll be on the couch.” 

* * *

As a master thief, it’s imperative that I can get inside people’s heads– to understand them on an intimate level, perhaps even more than they understand themselves. It’s a habit I try to maintain even when I’m not in the middle of a heist, just to keep the skills carefully honed.

This is how I learned that the Martian Pill hadn’t entirely left my system. 

Which, in turn, is how I made another discovery: that Juno Steel monologues like a cartoon character when he thinks nobody can hear him.

It happened slowly at first, so subtly that I mistook it for my own intuition. They seemed to be mere flashes of inspiration when I spent too much time thinking about my gracious host, trying to puzzle out the idiosyncrasies that drove him, the little game of misbehavior and rationalization that he played in an effort to keep his conscience clear.

Sometimes I caught myself mentioning little details that I shouldn’t have known– but surely he’d let them slip at some point. I would have been able to tell him exactly when he’d divulged those little nuggets of information, if not for the headache that refused to leave me alone.

The headache worried him. He thought I should go back to the hospital, just in case there was something they had missed– but he told me as much. 

But one day I found him staring out a window while a summer rainstorm ate away at all organic matter unlucky enough to be caught outside. His expression was even darker than the weather– which is impressive, considering his default. 

“You look especially dour this morning,” I mused. “Don’t tell me your plans got cancelled over a little bit of rain.”

He gave a noncommittal grunt. “No plans today.” 

“Well, if that’s the case, then…” I frowned. I’d been about to say something teasing, but that felt rather insensitive, didn’t it? Not on the anniversary of his mother’s death.

Yes, that was what today was. I was certain. But that didn’t make sense– he hadn’t said a word about it. I didn’t even know his mother was dead, let alone that she’d died today. 

How did I know that? I tried to remember where I’d heard that bit of information, but my head was throbbing. I couldn’t remember reading it when I’d researched Juno that first time, and I was sure he’d never told me. But I knew it had happened while he was away from home. I knew he’d been on his way to work when an old friend called him up to tell him the news. I knew he’d been shocked into numbness, and the only words he could force out were “about time.” I knew he still thought about that when he needed reasons to hate himself.

And I knew I couldn’t possibly have known any of those things.

“Then what?” Juno asked, finally looking up. “If that’s the case, then– Nureyev, you’re bleeding.”

Was I? 

I touched my face, and my finger came away bloody. Funny, I hadn’t even noticed. 

Juno was already on his feet. “That’s it, I’m taking you back to the hospital.”

“What? Juno, it’s just a little nosebleed.” 

“A little nosebleed and a whole lot of headaches. Something’s up, Nureyev.” 

“The weather, statistically,” I said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it has something to do with these rainstorms. The same thing happens on Vega in the spring, you know.”

It was a flagrant lie, but he wasn’t the one spontaneously learning exciting new things about people. 

He frowned. “This is a regular thing for you?” I didn’t need to read his mind to know he doubted if he could trust me.

“I would hardly call it regular. But yes, it does happen from time to time.“ I flashed my most charming smile. “Don’t tell me you’re worried for me, Detective.”

“Course not,” he replied automatically. “Just wondering when I can get rid of you is all.” 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dogmouthhorse asked:
> 
> if you ever wanna do more of martian pill nureyev please do i love it so much

I made a habit of practicing my newfound talent while I was in the bathroom. I could still listen to Juno’s thoughts from the other side of the closed door, but he couldn’t hear my little grunts of pain or see the blood seeping from my eye when I pushed myself too hard. Afterward it was a simple matter of wiping away the blood with bathroom tissue, flushing the evidence, and applying some eye drops and aspirin after I finished washing up. 

The headaches were getting easier to manage; the backaches, on the other hand, were only getting worse. 

From the moment I woke up every morning, my spine felt like it was trying to trade places with one of my ribs, and no amount of stretching or twisting could ease the discomfort. It was only after I saw Juno doing the same that I realized: it was his backache that I was feeling.

“How did you sleep?” I asked, sliding closer to stand just behind him.

His thoughts were dark and cloudy as a rain storm. _Awful_. “Fine.”

“Really? That surprises me.” I sidled even closer, my hand slipping up his shoulder. “I’d be miserable if I had to sleep on a couch for so long.”

“Yeah, well, that’s why you’re on the bed.” A part of him buzzed with agitation, but only a part; the rest of him was occupied by the feeling of my hand on him.

“I’m grateful for that.” I set my other hand on his shoulder and began to knead the muscle there. I could feel the tension in his back like it was my own, and the exquisite feeling of thumbs digging deep into the knots and working them loose. I couldn’t see the way his eyes rolled back, but I could feel them. 

I could get used to this. 

I leaned in close enough that I could feel his scalp tingling as I breathed gently against the back of his neck. His head tipped back and he melted against me.

“You don’t have to sleep out here,” I murmured into his ear. “The bed is more than big enough for two.”

He wanted to say yes– he ached for the chance– but his reflexive answer was the first one he gave. 

“No.” He stepped away, out of my reach. No matter how much he wanted me, he didn’t want to be conned by a criminal. Not again.

But he was already neck deep in a con and he knew it; getting in bed with me wouldn’t make it any worse, would it?

But who ever said anything about sex? A neck rub and an invitation to sleep on an actual bed wasn’t an offer to fuck; it was his own goddamn fault if he let his thoughts go in that direction.

At the same time, wasn’t that an invitation? The touching, the heavy breathing, the bedroom eyes? I was a man of subtlety, after all. I didn’t have to say things outright to get what I wanted.

But what if I was just like that? What if he was reading signals that weren’t really there? If he acted on an invitation that wasn’t really there, he wouldn’t know how to live with himself. 

All that thinking was making Juno’s head throb, and it was making mine even worse. 

And suddenly Juno’s train of thoughts came to a standstill. “Nureyev, you’re bleeding.”

Concern sharpened his gaze as it flitted from my face to my shirt. I glanced down.

Oh, that really was a lot of blood, wasn’t it?

That’s it. You’re going back to the hospital.

I pulled a packet of tissues out of my back pocket and started cleaning up my face. “There’s no need for that, Juno.”

When I looked up at him, his eyes had narrowed.

He didn’t say that out loud.

“It’s still in you,” he said slowly. “Whatever the hell was in that Pill. It’s still in you.” 

“It isn’t as bad as you think.”

“And you would know, since apparently you can read my mind.” His voice was rising. His agitation crackled against my skin like the precursor to an electrical storm. “What the hell were you thinking, Nureyev? That shit almost killed you.”

“I’m thinking that my career will be over if I become Mars’s latest medical spectacle.” 

“It’ll end even faster if you drop dead from whatever the hell is making you bleed like that.” 

“Juno.” I leaned my forehead against his, so he could see my eyes and not the blood on my shirt. “Juno, I can get it under control.” 

“You don’t know that.”

“I do,” I murmur. “It’s something I’ve been working on. And I’m getting better. But I need you to be patient with me.” 

I was still far from mastering the ability, but I was getting a better idea of how far I could push myself before the blood and pain began. What caught me by surprise was just how easy it was to slip past that point. I hadn’t intended to delve so deep into Juno’s head just now; it had simply happened. 

“If you think I’m just going to sit back and watch this thing kill you–”

“If I feel like I’m in danger, I’ll go back to the hospital,” I said. “But until then, I need you to trust me.” 

“Trust you,” he repeated bitterly. “You’re a thief, remember?” But his words carried no sting when I felt the intent behind them. “The second you feel like it’s getting out of control–”

“I’ll trust you to come to my rescue.” 

* * *

That night he took me up on my offer to share his bed. 

I might have tried to initiate something, if I’d been able to focus. But the only thing that filled either of our minds that night was Juno’s internal monologue as he checked constantly to make sure I was still alive. 


End file.
